The invention provides a zirconia ceramic material applied to dental restoration. The zirconia ceramic material applied to the dental restoration is prepared from the following components by mole percentage: 1.5-4% of Nb2O5, 1.5-4% of SnO2 and the balance of ZrO2. The invention further provides a preparation method of the zirconia ceramic material. The preparation method comprises the following steps of (1), carrying out ball-milling on Nb2O5 powder, SnO2 powder and ZrO2 powder, uniformly mixing and screening to obtain a mixed powder; (2), carrying out isostatic cool pressing formation to obtain powder pressed blanks; and (3) carrying out pre-sintering and sintering processes to obtain the zirconia ceramic material applied to the dental restoration. According to the zirconia ceramic material applied to the dental restoration, which is disclosed by the invention, the biocompatibility is good, the health-harmful problems such as sensitivity do not exist, the mechanical property is excellent, the actual effect resistance is good, the phase change from a tetragonal phase to a monoclinic phase does not generate in a hygrothermal environment of an oral cavity, no clinic risk of exfoliation exists, and the zirconia ceramic material can be widely suitable for manufacturing dental restoration prosthesis.